Bogus Eviction Notices Anger Residents
DETROIT (WWJ) - Bogus eviction notices anger -- and puzzle -- residents of the Delray neighborhood in southwest Detroit. The eviction notices told homeowners their property could be taken by the state to build the government-backed New International Trade Crossing bridge.
WWJ's Citybeat Reporter Vickie Thomas is reporting that State Representative Rashida Tlaib says the phony eviction notices caused chaos in the community. She calls it an act of desperation by the owners of the Ambassador Bridge, who want to kill the project.
"It's shameful that anyone would use residents as pawns in a political fight," said Scott Brines of the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition. "The misinformation being spread in these fliers continues to hurt the people of Delray. We need a decision on this project immediately so we can all move forward."
Brines says the fake eviction notices, circulated widely in the Delray neighborhood by Americans for Prosperity, are meant to frighten homeowners into believing their homes can be taken away without compensation.
According to a press release issued by Progress Michigan, Americans for Prosperity, founded by oil billionaire David Koch, provides national support for the tea party movement. AFP in April announced a campaign to oppose the New International Trade Crossing bridge, which would end billionaire Matty Moroun's decades long monopoly over the busiest trade crossing in North America.
